Spirited Flames
by ladyinquisitor93
Summary: Kima, crown princess of the Fire Nation. Mako, Republic City's best detective. Hoping she can learn more about the world, Iroh brings his sister to the perfect place and asks that Mako look after her. But things in Republic City are still uneasy with the triads fighting for territory and Mako will find himself protecting Kima, even if things between them started off rocky.
1. Chapter 1

Kima was always a bit of a rebel. She was the crown princess of the Fire Nation, the younger sister to General Iroh- who was fifteen years older than her. She never really liked being cooped up in the palace, usually finding ways to escape the palace grounds and go hang out with her grandfather- learning more about firebending from both he and his dragon companion, Druk. She didn't like politics and would much rather not have anything to do with being a princess if she had her way if she were to be honest. But she went along with what her mother wanted of her to keep the peace, to a degree.

The week of her twenty-seventh birthday, her brother came home to visit and celebrate with his family. While he was staying with them and at the behest of his little sister, he spoke with their mother about Kima leaving the palace to see the world- suggesting they start her off with Republic City to give her a chance to get a glimpse of what the other nations were like. Firelord Izumi agreed that it would be good for Kima, even as reluctant as she was, so she made arrangements to have her stay in the presidential suite of the local hotel and informed Kima of the plan. She was to leave at the end of the week with her brother and stay in Republic City for the foreseeable future. Kima hated the idea of being stuck in the city- even more so knowing that she would have to be assigned a bodyguard- but she went along with it because it meant leaving the palace . She was curious, though, to see the city and interact with people from the other nations after reading so much about them- having never left the Fire Nation before.

When it came time to leave, Kima packed very little- just enough to fill a single bag- and boarded her brother's ship. At his assurances, Kima found that she was actually looking forward to the trip. And thankfully her brother was willing to train with her during the trip, help her practice her firebending- something of which she wasn't the greatest at in her opinion even with the training she would do with their grandfather. Despite her brother's compliments and encouragements about her firebending, Kima thought she was terrible and she was a bit ashamed about the color of her flames. They were a lavender purple- different than the usual fire wielding by firebenders- and though they were a different color than Azula's blue flames, Kima worried she'd turn into the same kind of person as her great-aunt and she rarely firebended as a result, sticking instead to the chi-blocking hand to hand style fighting that Ty Lee had taught the Kyoshi Warriors in her youth.

It didn't take long for them to reach the shores of Republic City and when they did, Kima was amazed at how different and modern it was compared to traditional her home was. She wasn't sure how to feel about it exactly, but she would be staying in Republic City for the foreseeable future so only time would tell. She was a bit distracted by the new city that she didn't see Iroh had already left the ship and reached the docks and thanked the soldier who told her for letting her know. She grabbed her things and hurried after her brother.

"Welcome back to Republic City, General."

"It's good to be back, Chief." General Iroh said when he shook Chief of Police Lin Bei Fong's hand and smiled, then looked to her best detective, Mako. "Hello, Mako. I trust all is well?"

"Yes, sir. Thank you for asking." Mako bowed to the general. "What brings you to Republic City?"

"I'm just here to see that my sister is settled in for her stay."

"Your sister?" Mako wondered aloud, his attention being drawn to a young woman around his age coming down the ship ramp onto the dock.

"Mako, this is my younger sister, Princess Kima." Iroh said, introducing her. "Kima, this is Mako."

Mako offered Kima a bow. "Welcome to Republic City, Your Highness."

Kima looked him over, cocking a hip to the side as she shouldered her bag. "Is this my new babysitter?"

"Kima..."

"What, call it what you will, Iroh, but we both know that Mom wants someone to babysit me."

"Chief?"

"You've been assigned as the princess' escort and bodyguard for the duration of her stay in Republic City." Lin looked at him, brow raised. "Will that be a problem?"

Mako sighed, really not liking Kima so far. "No, ma'am." He looked to the princess. "If you would follow me to the car, Your Highness?" He glanced at Iroh and Lin as Kima rolled her eyes and walked passed him, giving them a small bow before hurrying after Kima reluctantly.

"Still a rebel with an attitude, huh?" Lin asked.

Iroh sighed. "Yes. It was the only way I could convince Mother to let her leave the palace." He walked with Lin as they followed after Mako and Sai. "I just hope she doesn't give Mako too much trouble."

Lin chuckled. "I'm sure he'll be just fine."

* * *

Kima sat in silence as she and Mako were driven to the hotel, her brother and Lin just behind them. Mako sat next to her, silent as well as he tried to figure her out.

'She look so excited, but she seems like such a brat.'

He looked her over, noting the family resemblance to the general. She wore a royal purple kimono with golden trim instead of the typical red and gold Fire Nation garb, her long black hair bouncing ever so slightly as they drove, her pale yellow eyes glowing in the daylight, her nails painted to match her dress, at her ears dangled earrings with purple gemstones, at her wrist a gold cuff bracelet with a delicate chain that connected to a ring set on her pinkie finger, and a simple necklace of gold with purple gemstones like her earrings hung about her neck.

He knew that Iroh had a sister, but he didn't realize how much younger she was.

'There's too much shit going on with the triads, I don't have time to be babysitting another royal.' he thought, cringing a little at the memories.

When they reached the hotel, Mako got out and made to hold the door open for Kima only to have her hop out and shoulder her bag- nearly smacking him in the face in the process. "You're welcome..." he muttered under his breath as Kima headed into the hotel. He followed after her as she checked in before waiting for Iroh and Lin to join them.

"So how do you like Republic City so far, Your Highness?" Mako asked, looking down at her.

"It's fine, I suppose." Kima shrugged. She wasn't about to get friendly with the guy babysitting her. 'Stupid, Mom...'

"You'll need to be careful, the city is still in a state of unrest with the triads fighting over territory." He looked over at the hotel entrance. "Look, your brother and the Chief are here."

Kima looked up as Iroh and Lin entered the hotel. They quickly joined her and Mako and they went up to the presidential suite together. When they reached the suite, Kima was relieved to see a bit of home- or at least the feel of it- and knew she would be just fine staying at the hotel.

"Do you like it?" Iroh asked, looking to his little sister.

"It's just like the rooms in the palace back home." Kima replied, trying to sound thrilled for her brother and offered him a smile.

"Good." Iroh returned her smile. "Now, how about some dinner?"

* * *

Dinner with her brother was nice, even if Mako had to join them. After their meal, Iroh and Kima went for a nightly stroll around the block- Mako just behind them- and he asked if she would be OK on her own in the city.

"I'll be fine. You know I can defend myself when I have to."

"That may be true, but the city is still uneasy after the spirit portal opened two years ago. I just want to make sure that you'll be safe." He hesitated for a moment or two before asking, "Why are you still reluctant to use your firebending?"

Kima made sure Mako was out of ear shot before she replied. "My flames are so different than yours, brother... what if I turn out just like she did..?"

Iroh knew she spoke of their great-aunt Azula. She was the only one in their family to have ever had a different colored flame, until Kima. Even outside of the royal family, they were the only two to ever have a unique flame. Azula ended up going insane at the end of the Hundred Year War, being defeated by Katara of the Southern Water Tribe and their grandfather, Zuko.

"Kima, you're nothing like her." Iroh said, trying to reassure her just as he had many times before. "Remember the stories Grandfather used to tell us? About the differently colored flames he and Avatar Aang had seen when they learned from Ran and Shaw?"

Kima nodded. "They saw blue and red, orange and yellow, purple and green, pink and even white."

"Azula's flames weren't the cause of her insanity. She drove herself to that through her own actions and by inheriting her ruthlessness from her father." Iroh placed a gentle hand on his sister's shoulder. "We were lucky enough to have inherited our great-grandmother's kindness, just as Grandfather was. And remember, Avatar Roku is our great-great grandfather, too. So cheer up?"

Kima smiled at that and nodded. "Thanks, Iroh." She looked out over the water as they stopped at a nearby overlook. "You're leaving tomorrow, aren't you?"

"We've received our new orders. We leave first thing in the morning."

Kima sighed. "I wish we had more time. It's been too long since we could hang out together."

"I know and I'm sorry I can't stay longer." Iroh looked around. "It's not too late yet, so let's enjoy the rest of the night while we can. Care to enjoy a night out on the town?"

Kima smiled and nodded. "Of course, dear brother. I'd like nothing more." She looked behind them. "Coming, Mako?"

Mako nodded, falling into step with them after giving them some space to talk, and for the remainder of the evening they walked the streets of Republic City. They visited different shops where they perused the wares, then stopped at a local festival and partook in the various food stands- enjoying mostly desserts and other sweets after dinner. They watched the performers as they danced and played their instruments. Iroh looked down at his sister, smiling when he saw that she was genuinely having fun. It was nice to see her more open and free side.'This will be good for her.'

* * *

After a fun night out with her brother, Kima had gone back to the hotel with Mako- finding out that he had a room adjoining hers, which of course she didn't approve of. She woke the next morning bright and early, found Mako already waiting outside in the hall for her, and went to the docks to see Iroh off. It was nice to spend time with him when she could and she hoped she'd be able to again soon.

As she stood at the docks, waving to her brother as his ship pulled out of port, she realized that she was grateful that her brother had brought her to Republic City. It would be good for her to get out of the palace and see more of what the world's cultures had to offer, and it would be so different than the visitors she'd get at the palace like the time Ty Lee- an old friend of her grandfather's- came to visit Zuko from Kyoshi Island and teach Kima her chi clocking techniques or the times that Avatar Aang, Katara, and Sokka would stop by to visit when she was a toddler.

Once she could no longer see her brother on deck, she turned towards the city and took a deep breath. 'Here we go.'


	2. Chapter 2

In the weeks before Kima's arrival to Republic City, Mako had returned to duty as a detective in Lin's triad task force despite his injury. Much to his displeasure, though, he was partnered with his younger brother, Bolin.

The police force had their hands full investigating the triads ravaging the city, as the different factions engaged each other in turf wars over the land that was not destroyed during the invasion. When the Triple Threat Triad attacked the Creeping Crystals, Mako was among the officers who interfered. Having both arrested a triad member and loaded them into their vehicle, Mako and Bolin headed back to the temporarily police headquarters to start processing the criminals. During the ride back, Bolin engaged in small talk with Two Toed Ping, only to have his brother by gruffly correct him and placing emphasis on the temporary nature of their partnership. After they had arrived back at the station and finished booking their prisoners, Mako walked in on Lin's interrogation of Two Toed Ping about the identity of the Triple Threats' new leader, which was leading nowhere. He pulled her aside and suggested they trick Ping into believing that he had been identified by another triad member as the mastermind of the earlier attack on the Creeping Crystals in order to get Ping to talk. The ruse worked, and the two learned that the true mastermind had been Tokuga, a dangerous criminal whom they quickly bumped to the top of their most wanted list.

Sometime later, Mako and Bolin took a trip to Air Temple Island to visit Avatar Korra and their friend Asami for the first time since the women had returned from their vacation to the Spirit World. When Bolin asked how Korra and Asami's vacation had been, Mako noticed how strange they were acting and called them out on their behavior. But before they could say anything, Tenzin's eldest daughter Jinora's spiritual projection appeared to warn them about the ongoing attack of the Triple Threat Triad on the spirit portal. Mako asked her if a man fitting Tokuga's description was there, which Jinora confirmed, and Team Avatar quickly made their way over to the portal on a flying bison. Along the way, Mako informed the others that Tokuga was the Triple Threats' new leader and tried to contact the rest of the police force for assistance. He failed to connect, however, as the radio frequencies had been fickle ever since the creation of the portal, and warned his friends that they were on their own for the battle.

Once they had arrived, Mako sought out and challenged Tokuga, attacking him with his firebending in an attempt to arrest him only to have the nimble gang leader easily evade the blast and use his hook swords to launch Mako through the air. As he was about to finish Mako, Bolin came to the defense of his brother, forcing Tokuga to flee. Bolin helped his brother to his feet, but he felt downcast having been given the slip by Tokuga and he formally acknowledging their partnership as his brother comforted him.

Following the attack at the spirit portal, Mako and Bolin filed a report with the chief. As Lin finished reading, Mako added to Lin that he believed that the Triple Threats had been bought, and that Korra had a hunch it was Wonyong Keum. Lin listened to Mako, asking if he bought her "cockamamie" theory. He said he thought it was possible, and suggested that they bring Wonyong in for questioning. She refused, however, because Wonyong was powerful and well connected, making him difficult to get to. She told Mako he was not to bring Wonyong in unless he had hard evidence that the Triple Threats and the businessman were connected. As they left Lin's office, Bolin remarked to Mako that he guessed that the lead on Wonyong had been a dead end, but Mako didn't think so and suggested that the two of them should pay a visit to Two-Toed Ping.

Once they had reached his cell, Mako asked Ping if he had any idea of where the Triple Threats' new hideout was. Ping told him that they changed hideouts every few days, and that he had no idea where they were right now. Mako said that if he cooperated, they had be willing to get him some better accommodations for his jail cell. Ping insisted that he was being honest, and that Tokuga had no way of sending him messages through prison, so he had no idea where they were. Bolin remembered how, when they were kids, the Triple Threats had used them to move messages between Triad members, and suggested that maybe Tokuga was doing the same thing. Mako questioned Ping about the manner, and Ping nervously told him that maybe it was possible, which Mako took as a yes. As they walked away from Ping's cell, Mako told Bolin had displayed some good thinking, and would make a fine cop one day, to which Bolin replied that he had learned from the best.

After deciding to drive around the city, Bolin narrated the two driving around, featuring themselves saving Republic City from a shadowy evil force. Mako told him to stop because they were not filming a mover. Bolin said that maybe they should be, and proposed some titles, including "Good Cop, Bad Cop," and Mako said that he was assuming he was the bad cop in the scenario. Bolin haughtily remarked that he was naturally a charmer, and Mako was not talented enough to play off-type. Mako smugly remarked that Bolin was not either, and that Nuktuk was not far off from who Bolin was in real life, causing Bolin to defensively reply that Nuktuk had a lot of range, and questioned his brother about being cranky because his exes were dating each other. Mako defensively responded that he was fine, and that he thought it was great that the two were dating. Bolin said it did not seem like he was doing fine, but Mako interrupted him saying that it was Skoochy, the child they were looking for. Bolin to him not to change the subject, but Mako insisted that he had found Skoochy. Skoochy had noticed them, though, and darted away, which prompted Bolin to jump out of the car and follow him through one of the alleyways while Mako turned around and went through the other side. Bolin attempted to trap him through a rock wall, but Skoochy climbed over, only to run into Mako who grabbed him by his shirt and said it had been a while, and asked how he had been. Skoochy said he had been fine until the two of them had showed up, and asked what they wanted. Mako told the young triad member that he had heard that he might know where the Triple Threats' hideout was, but Skoochy said that he would not know because these days he was "living on the straight and narrow". Mako voiced his doubts about that and asked where Skoochy's clothes had come from, to which Skoochy replied that he had "found them". Bolin then angrily grabbed Skoochy and demanded he stop lying and answer Mako's questions, to both Skoochy and Mako's surprise. Mako told Bolin to go easy, and told Skoochy that he had been in his shoes once, and understood where he was coming from, but that at the end of the day he had a responsibility to the other people in Republic City, and that people could die if they did not find Tokuga. Skoochy mentioned that last he had heard the Triple Threats were in an abandoned warehouse by the docks but ran away saying that the two had not heard it from him. As Skoochy left, Bolin remarked to Mako that he would not have guessed it, but he was the bad cop after all. Mako ignored Bolin, saying that they had need to find Tokuga and to radio Lin for backup.

That night, Mako and many other police officers raided the abandoned warehouse. Lin lead the charge, checking to make sure it was full of people before invading. She had detected at least twelve inside using the same technique her mother had taught her, then commanding her men to head in. They headed down the stairs, and Lin kicked the door open only to realize the people were dummies. Mako ripped his cast off and yelled at everybody to leave just before the factory blew up. He used the best of his firebending ability to hold off the flames from the explosion, as Lin, Bolin, and the other officers fled the scene. They all left the building, as it collapsed behind them, all managing to survive without any major injuries. Mako apologized to Lin, and she said it was alright, Tokuga had simply been one step ahead of them. She commanded her officers to sweep the area for clues of where he was going, and Mako told Bolin they would not find anything, but that he needed to follow up on the lead on Wonyong. When Bolin reminded Mako of Lin's orders, Mako remarked that he did not care, Tokuga had just nearly killed them and he needed to be brought down using any lead.

Later, Mako and Bolin went to Keum Enterprises' headquarters to try and meet with Wonyong Keum. They went up to a receptionist's desk and requested to speak to Mr. Keum, but she turned them away, saying they would need an appointment. The two insisted that it was important police business, but two security guards appeared and begun to escort them out of the building. As they were leaving, one of the security guards asked if Wonyong was in any trouble, and mentioned that he had not been at work or at home in days. Mako questioned why they had not contacted the police since he had been missing, and they responded that Wonyong did not like the police being involved in his private affairs. Bolin and Mako came to the conclusion that Tokuga had been involved in his disappearance and left.


	3. Chapter 3

Asami had indeed been taken as a hostage while the triad attacked a depot containing the airships, tanks and mecha-suits taken from the Earth Empire after Kuvira's invasion of Republic City. When Korra showed up to try and stop the Triple Threats leaving with the stolen vehicles, Asami was brought out from one of the captured airships to threaten Korra into backing off. Korra backed down, and Asami remained with the Triple Threats as they prepared to invade Republic City.

The Triple Threat Triad bound Asami's hands and chained her and Wonyong to a fence in the basement of an abandoned Earthen Fire Refinery. Wonyong attempted to socialize with Asami, but she angrily shut him down saying that it had been his greed that had caused the problems in the first place, and that if he had not hired the Triple Threat Triad in the first place, none of this would have happened. Wonyong attempted to defend himself by bringing up Asami's father, which caused her to angrily stand up and exclaim that her father had given his life for the city, while Wonyong had been willing to take no sacrifices at all.

Overhearing the conversation between the two, Tokuga interrupted by saying Wonyong had nothing left, as he had taken it all. Asami said if Tokuga had everything, he should let the two of them go, but Tokuga refused and said that Korra had not suffered enough for his disfigurement. Asami protested that Korra had been trying to prevent Tokuga from being attacked, but he snidely remarked that it was noble of her to protect her girlfriend and revealed that he had been spying on Asami in her temporary office. He also said that he needed Asami to be able to build a weapon for him, revealing that he had stolen Hiroshi's blueprints from Wonyong Keum. Wonyong told Asami that it had been these plans of Hiroshi's that had caused him to walk out on the deal with her father years ago. Asami recognized the plans as a gas-dispersion tank and assumed her father had wanted to attach them to mecha suits during the Equalist revolution to disperse knockout gas. She questioned if that was Tokuga's plan, but he told her he wanted to do more, namely use poisonous gas and disperse it from a large airship. Asami angrily retorted that she refused to help Tokuga hold Republic City hostage. Tokuga promptly began strangling Wonyong Keum with his tentacle arm, questioning Asami if she had changed her mind yet. Asami begged Tokuga to stop though realizing the only way to save Keum was to agree working with Tokuga.

Seemingly following the plans, Asami secretly adjusted the weapon so that the gas would disperse inside of the blimp, poisoning anybody flying on board instead of the people outside. While she finished attaching the pump to the airship, Wonyong attempted to apologize for his actions that had resulted in their current situation, but Asami told him to be quiet. Tokuga questioned how long Asami would take, and she answered that she was almost done, when the rest of Team Avatar and the Creeping Crystal Triad burst in and began attacking the Triple Threat members inside, and Asami excitedly called for Korra. She told Tokuga that she had connected the pump, so he should let her and Wonyong go, but Tokuga had two members of the triad take them onto the airship as it began to take off.

Having to rework her plan as she had not anticipated being on board the airship, Asami instructed Wonyong to grab gas masks on her signal. As the ship neared the spirit portal and Tokuga threatened the people below, Asami signaled Wonyong and released the gas inside of the ship, causing the Triads to faint. To her surprise, Tokuga's spirit side enabled him to breathe the toxic gas, and he ripped off Asami's mask, causing her to choke on the poisonous gas.

As she collapsed, Korra boarded the ship and used airbending to fling Tokuga across the room, before creating a bubble of air for Asami to breathe. As Korra offered to land to ship, Asami redonned her gas mask and playfully remarked that she had seen Korra drive, making it better that she would steer the ship. As she finished speaking, Tokuga shattered the windows in the cockpit, allowing the gas to be released inside of the ship. While Tokuga and Korra were locked in battle, Asami grabbed the controls of the ship and aimed for the spirit portal, figuring that if the gas had not affected Tokuga, it would not affect the other spirits. When Tokuga, having chi blocked Korra, was about to kill the Avatar, Asami rapidly banked left, sending Tokuga flying out of one of the shattered windows.

Despite a crash landing in the Spirit World, Asami, Korra, and Wonyong walked out the ship. Asami remarked that the landing was rougher than she would have liked, though Korra noted that it was better than she would have been able to do, to which Asami agreed with a smile. The couple embraced but had their intimate moment interrupted by the arrival of a group of dark spirits, led by the dragon eel spirit. When Korra attempted to explain why they were there but conceded that perhaps the spirits were right and that the portal should be closed, Asami interjected that the portal was too precious to be closed. Wonyong agreed with Asami and rescinded his claim on the lands surrounding the spirit portal, stating that he owed Korra and Asami his life.

As the spirits calmed down and retreated, Asami apologized to Wonyong, admitting that she had him pegged wrong, though when Wonyong wondered if that meant Keum Enterprises and Future Industries would do business together again in the future, she cautioned him to not get ahead of himself though did not exclude the possibility.

And now, three weeks later, Kima had arrived in Republic City and Zhu Li was elected as the new president. But things were far from settling down.

The week of the election was the week that Kima had arrived and it was indeed busy. She had spent much of her free time exploring the city, getting used to how everything was so different than back home. When it came time for the election, she decided to attend and see how Republic City handled its politics first hand.

As the crowd gathered when the election results were tallied, Mako- who had accompanied Kima to the party- stood surveying the crowd, keeping an eye out for anything or anyone suspicious. It wasn't just because he felt like there may not be enough security with everything going on, but also because in the short time Kima had been in the city she was already proving to be more of a handful than Wu was.

Kima stood in the crowd with Mako and listened as the results revealed Zhu Li as the new president. She stood and listened to her speech, smiling as she felt a warm energy come from her. She could sense overall that the people were very pleased with the outcome of the election, which also told her than Raiko wasn't necessarily the best president. When the speech came to an end, she made her way to the front to offer her congratulations and to say hello to a few old friends.

"Imagine my surprise to see you here of all places."

Kima stopped in her tracks and turned, smiling when she saw an unexpected face. "Grandpa!" Kima beamed when she saw Lord Zuko standing behind her. She hugged him. "I didn't know you would be here!"

"Zhu Li is a good friend. I wanted to show my support." Zuko returned her hug and looked down at her her hair braided and bangs curled a bit, a simple purple and gold dress hugging her figure, earrings and necklace matching. "You look beautiful, my dear. Come, there are others we should greet."

Kima followed her grandfather over to where Zhu Li stood with her husband and their friends, standing next to him with Mako just to her other side. Other than her brother, Iroh, her grandfather was the only person she felt like she could be herself around. She hoped that spending time in Republic City would change that, though.

"Congratulations, my dear." Zuko said, greeting Zhu Li. "You'll make an excellent president."

"Thank you, Lord Zuko." Zhu Li replied, greeting him in return. "You remember my husband, Varrick?"

"Of course! And might I introduce my granddaughter, Kima?" Zuko stepped aside, turning towards Kima a bit to urge her to greet them.

"Hello." She bowed. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Ah, Lord Zuko, it's good to see you again!"

Kima looked over as more people joined them, recognizing a few of them.

"Tenzin! Good to you see as well. You remember my granddaughter, Kima?"

Tenzin looked at Kima, his eyes widening. "Little Kima?"

Kima blushed and nodded. "Though I'm not so little anymore."

"I can see that." Tenzin chuckled. "It's been, what, twenty years since I last saw you? Now look at you!"

"It's been twenty-three, actually." Kima tucked her hair behind her ear. "I was four the last time I saw you. I think it was a year or two before your father, Avatar Aang, passed away."

"Ah, yes, so it was. You grew up to be quite the beautiful, young woman. Your mother must be proud."

Zuko chuckled. "As am I. She looks just like her great-grandmother."

Kima smiled at that, taking it as the greatest compliment. Her great-grandmother Ursa was a beautiful, kind, and gentle woman that loved her children very much and would do anything to protect them. She was able to meet her once or twice before she passed, but she was still very, very young.

"Ah, Bolin. Good to see you again." Zuko said, greeting the two brothers as they joined the group. "I trust all is well?"

While Bolin and Zuko exchanged greeting words, Mako thought over the new bit of information. 'So she's four years older than me. You wouldn't know it by the way she acts. I swear she's just like Korra...' He looked up when Tenzin asked Kima how she was liking the city so far just as Korra and Asami joined them.

"It's been great. I look forward to learning more about the city and its people." She noticed the two women joining them.

"Ah, Kima, this is Asami Sato- proud owner of Future Industries and daughter of the late Hiroshi Sato, who invented the Sato-mobiles." Tenzin introduced the fair skinned raven haired beauty with green eyes. "And this is Avatar Korra." Tenzin introduced the dark skinned woman with eyes as beautiful and blue as the ocean. Then turning to them both, he introduced Kima. "This is Princess Kima, Lord Zuko's granddaughter."

Korra smiled. "Welcome to Republic City, Kima. I know it's not much and things aren't in the best shape, but there's still plenty of good around."

"So far, I like it here." Kima replied. "It's very different than the palace back home."

"It's a shame General Iroh couldn't stay longer." Korra commented, her fingers intertwined with Asami's. "There were some things I wanted to talk with him about."

"You could always send a messenger hawk." Kima suggested, then realizing something she looked up at her grandfather. "Do they have those here, Grandpa?"

"I believe some people do, but they aren't as common as they are back home."

"Thanks, Kima, I'll look into it." Korra replied with a smile. "So, Princess of the Fire Nation, huh? That must be pretty interesting."

Kima shrugged. "Not really.." She glanced up at her grandfather. "But as much as I enjoy training with Grandpa and avoiding the politics, this is a great opportunity for me to get a better feel for the other cultures of the world. And a bit of a taste of freedom."

"It is indeed. But you must remember that your mother means well." Zuko chuckled. "Now, why don't you young ones mingle while we old men talk?"

Before she could say anything, Asami grabbed Kima's hand and with Korra and Bolin's help dragged her off to meet some of their friends- Mako following not far behind.

"It's good to see her mingling and making an effort to get to know the city and its people." Tenzin said.

"Yes, it is indeed." Zuko replied, smiling. "It will be interesting to see how this experience will change her."

"I never would have guessed that such a little tyke like Kima would grow up to be such a beautiful woman. I see some things never change though, she seems as brazen and rambunctious as ever."

"That she is." Zuko laughed. "I do worry, though." Zuko added in a more serious tone, watching as the Avatar and her friends introduced Kima to everyone. "She's still so reluctant to use her firebending."

"Kima? Why would she be?"

"Her flames are lavender in color, a different color than other firebenders similarly to Azula's blue flames. She worries that by having a unique flame to call her own as well, she will end up going insane like my sister did. Her worries remain even after learning the Dance of the Dragon and performing it with Druk."

"Perhaps spending more time around Korra and the others will help quell those worries." Tenzin suggested.

"I hope so. She is so gifted. But like I did with my father, it is up to her to rise above her fears and worries and learn that she is nothing like Azula."

* * *

After meeting so many new people, Kima needed some fresh air. She went outside and took a few deep breaths, leaning against the wall and letting the cool air calm her.

"You doing OK?"

Kima looked up as Mako joined her. "Yes, it's just a lot."

"You don't seem like the type to be bothered by parties like this." He looked down at her. "You look beautiful, by the way."

Kima looked up at him at that, surprised. "Thanks." She noticed the look he was giving her. "What?"

Mako realized he was staring when he saw Kima's worried expression and he cleared his throat, looking away. "N-Nothing. Purple is a good color on you, that's all."

"I've never really liked the color red. Thankfully, though, Mom was always able to procure clothing made from fabrics dyed with purple berries." She could smell something different in the air and stepped down into the street, lifting her nose to the air. "What is that delicious aroma?"

Mako sniffed the air and smiled. "You've got a pretty good nose. That's Narook's Seaweed Eatery." He stepped down into the street next to her. "Would you like to go? I could take you if you'd like."

"Could we? I'm starving!"

Mako had to smile at that, seeing a different side to her than when they first met. "Let's go, then."


	4. Chapter 4

Kima marvelled at seeing Republic City through Mako's eyes so to speak as he gave her a tour. It was different than the city she saw when she arrived and having only been in the city for a day or two before the election, she hadn't gotten a chance really to explore the city beyond what she had seen with Iroh.

Mako pointed things out as they walked to Narook's, explaining things as they went. He found it amusing how excited she was, just like on the ride to the hotel from the docks. It was so different than the sassy, rebellious nature she had been showing.

"Republic City is so different than what I'm used to." Kima said, her eyes flicking from building to building. "It's nothing like the traditional architecture and culture in the Fire Nation. Or any other kingdom for that matter."

"Do you miss home?" Mako asked.

Kima shook her head. "I mean I miss Mom a bit, but it's so nice to have the freedom to get out and explore my surroundings for once."

"You said earlier that you would always sneak out of the palace, right?"

Kima nodded. "Mom would never let me do anything on my own. I guess being so much younger than Iroh, she was a lot more protective of me. But I'm 27, I should be able to do what I'd like without her permission. Regardless of being crown princess or not." She noticed that Mako had stopped and sniffed the air when a plume of steam carrying that delicious scent escaped the building next to them. "This is it?"

Mako nodded. "After you, Your Highness."

Kima rolled her eyes and stuck out her tongue. "Just call me 'Kima'."

Mako followed her inside, asking the staff for a table for two. When they sat, he had to smile seeing her so intrigued by the decor of the restaurant. "This place is a favourite eatery for Water Tribe members and people like my brother."

"What about you?" Kima asked, looking at him. "Do you like the food here?"

"It's good, though I'm not as big a fan as Bolin is." He looked up as someone brought over menus for them. "Thanks."

Kima looked over the menu, seeing a lot of it was simple, Water Tribe Cuisine- most being from the South. She had never had any kind of cuisine from other cultures before, but this was her chance to try something new. And she was hungry.

"Are you ready to order?"

Kima looked up as Mako placed his order- just a small bowl of seaweed noodles- and when it was her turn, she looked over the menu before saying, "I'll take one of everything.

The waiter looked at her, surprised, and asked if she was sure. Kima nodded, handing the menu back to them. When she felt Mako's eyes on her, she shrugged. "What?"

"That's a lot of food."

"I've never had anything that wasn't from the Fire Nation before, though. So, I thought I'd just try everything they have on the menu and see what I like."

"You were pretty sheltered from the sounds of it."

"Downside of being a princess and all."

"Well, like you said, this is a good chance for you to experience the world a bit from beyond the palace walls." He leaned back, an arm resting against the back of his seat. "So, how long are you staying in Republic City?"

"'For the foreseeable future' is what Mom told me."

"You're not going to try and sneak away from me while you're here, are you?"

"Depends."

"On?"

"Don't get me wrong, you're a nice guy and all, but I'm not thrilled about being babysat."

"I'm not thrilled about being a babysitter, I had enough of that with Prince Wu."

"That little twit from the Earth Kingdom?"

Mako chuckled. "Ya, that's him. He did end up turning things around towards the end there. He's not a bad guy, just takes some getting used to." He noticed Kima's face. "What?"

Kima shook her head. "Nothing. I suppose I'm the same way is all." She looked up as their food was brought out, Narook himself among the staff carrying her part of the order. "Excellent, I'm starving!" She saw everything from arctic hen to the famed seaweed noodles the restaurant was known for. She thanked Narook and his staff, then grabbed the chopsticks and wondered which dish to try first.

Mako shook his head seeing her with chopsticks poised at the ready, thinking there was no way a slender girl like her could eat all that food. "Let's eat."

* * *

Kima leaned back, satisfied, and sighed in content. "That was amazing..!"

Mako looked at her, astounded. "You... ate... everything..."

Kima looked at him and nodded. "I told you I was starving." She smiled when Narook came over, just as surprised as Mako was. "Thank you, it was amazing."

"I think you're my new favourite customer, girly."

Kima's smile grew. "I'm definitely coming back." She pulled her coin purse out and set out enough to cover their whole bill, the tip, and then a little extra. "Thanks again!"

Narook stared wide eyed at the stack of money Kima had placed on the table before getting up and heading for the door. He looked at Mako, who simply shrugged before hurrying after Kima. He counted the money, almost wanting to go after Kima to give some back. But when he decided to do just that, she and Mako had already disappeared. "You come back again, girly, next meal is on the house."

* * *

As they walked through the streets, Mako noticed that Kima was in a very good mood with a bounce in her step.

"So, how do you like Republic City so far?"

"It's definitely interesting. I think I'll really enjoy my stay here." She glanced back at Mako. "Even if you have to babysit me."

"Hey I'm not happy about it either." He replied, then realized how that came across when Kima's smile vanished. "Sorry, I-"

"It's fine." Kima sighed, turning her back to him. "I should remember you have a job that you'd rather be at than here with me."

"Your Highness, that's not-"

"Whatever..."

They walked in silence for a bit and Mako tried to rack his brain for some way to apologize for coming across like a total ass- even if what she said was true. A rustle sounded behind him and he turned, scanning the area. Seeing nothing, he turned back to Kima only to find that she had disappeared.

"Your Highness?" He called, looking around for her. He made it a block away before he started to panic. "Damn it! Princess Kima! Where the hell are you?!"

* * *

Kima took advantage of Mako being distracted by whatever caused the rustle behind them and dipped down an alleyway and doubled back towards the overlook she had gone to the day that Iroh had left. It was a spot she loved already, even though she had barely been in the city for more than a few days. She felt at peace, free almost.

"Stupid Mako..." She leaned on the railing in mild anger. "I'm not a child anymore, I just wish people wouldn't treat me like it..." She sighed, looking out over towards Air Temple Island. "Maybe Tenzin could give me some answers."

She made her way down to the pier and asked a local fisherman if he could give her a ride over to the island. The man happily agreed, helping her aboard before setting off towards the island. When they reached the docks there, he helped Kima off the boat and thanked her for the little extra in payment she gave him for the late hour.

Climbing the stairs to the temple, Kima just hoped she wouldn't wake anyone. When she reached the courtyard, she saw Druk relaxing beneath the starry sky. "Druk!"

The dragon looked up when he caught her scent and huffed when she called out to him. He reached forward, nuzzling her when she hugged his snout.

"It's good to see you, too." She smiled, rubbing his snout.

"Princess?"

Kima looked over, smiling when she Tenzin's brother Bumi coming over. "Good to see you again, Bumi."

"What are you doing here?"

"I was hoping I could talk to Tenzin, actually."

"He's not back yet from the party for the election." Bumi looked at her, seeing how she was dressed. "If you were there, why didn't you talk to Tenzin then?"

"It's kind of complicated..." Kima sighed.

"Uh oh, sounds serious. Maybe I can help?"

"If you wouldn't mind, maybe you could give me some advice?"

"Sure, Princess. What's going on?"

* * *

"Korra, I need your help."

Korra looked at Mako, then noticed Kima wasn't with him. "You lost the princess?"

Mako nodded. "She dipped out on me and I can't find her anywhere. I need to find her before her grandfather finds out."

"Before I find out what, Mako?"

Mako tensed and he turned to find Zuko and the others standing behind him.

"Where is my granddaughter?" Zuko asked, then seeing Mako's expression he sighed. "She snuck away from you, didn't she?"

"Yes, sir..."

"Well, some things never change." Zuko chuckled. "You've searched everywhere in the city?"

Mako nodded. "Yes, sir."

"And you couldn't find her?"

"No, sir."

"I may have an idea as to where she might be."


	5. Chapter 5

"Well, I can see where you're coming from, but the city is dangerous, Princess. Mako is just doing his job."

"He didn't have to be such an ass about it, though."

"True." Bumi looked at her. "What do you want to do?"

"I don't know..." Kima sighed, stroking Druk's scales. "I don't need a babysitter, though..."

"What do you need?"

"Honestly?"

"Of course."

"I need a friend."

Bumi could hear and see the sadness as she said that, knowing that she never had anyone really aside from Iroh and Zuko. He always suspected that that might have been part of why she started acting rebellious once Iroh had left home to join the United Forces. 'Poor kid...'

"There you are!"

Kima turned and saw Mako coming into the courtyard, with her grandfather, Tenzin, and a few others behind him. She looked away, leaning into Druk.

"You idiot, what were you thinking?!" Mako said, lecturing Kima when he reached her. "This city is still dangerous, anything could have happened and I wouldn't have been able to do anything!"

"Now, Mako-" Bumi started, but he closed his mouth when he saw the look Tenzin and Zuko gave him. He turned his attention back to Kima, wondering what was going to happen next.

"Grandpa, are you leaving in the morning?"

"Yes, I'll be flying back with Druk a little before noon."

"Let's have breakfast before you leave? I'd like to see you and Druk off."

"That'd be lovely, my dear."

Kima turned to Druk and kissed his snout. "I'll see you in the morning, OK?"

Druk huffed, nudging her with a worried look in his eyes.

Kima smiled a bit at that. "Don't worry about me, boy. I'll be OK," she told him in a low voice.

He hummed a bit as his gaze shifted to Mako.

Kima glanced back briefly before pressing her forehead to his snout. "I know... I'll take care of it, I promise." She kissed his snout once more, then turned Bumi. "Thanks for talking with me, Bumi. It helped a lot."

"Of course, Princess."

"Where are you going now?" Mako demanded, following after her as she made her way back to the docks.

Kima continued to ignore him, knowing he would follow her whether she wanted him to or not. She saw that the boatman who had driven Mako and the others to the island was still waiting, as was the fisherman who had brought her to the island.

"I had a feeling you'd need a ride back to the city." He said, offering her a hand.

"Thanks, I appreciate it." She took his hand, letting him help her into the boat again like before.

"Just the two of you?"

Kima nodded as Mako hopped into the boat behind her. "Yes please."

"Alright."

Kima stood, silent and watched as Air Temple Island grew smaller and smaller as they got closer and closer to the pier. Mako was still trying to lecture her, despite her ignoring him. When they reached the pier, she made to pay the fisherman again, but he insisted that it was alright- the extra she had paid him before being enough to cover it- and wished her a good night as he helped her out of the boat.

Kima started walking back to the hotel, Mako following close behind her.

"Are you just going to ignore me the whole time?" Mako demanded as they got closer to the hotel. When she didn't answer, he reached forward and grabbed her arm to stop her. "Just because you're a princess doesn't mean you get to act like a spoiled brat!"

Kima turned and slapped him across the face, pulling her arm free from his grasp. "You don't know me! I'm not a damn child, so stop treating me like!"

Mako stood there, stunned with a throbbing cheek. He looked down at Kima, catching a glimpse of what looked like tears before she turned and ran the rest of the way to the hotel.

"Y-Your Highness, wait!"

He took off after her, ignoring the stares of the people in the lobby as he ran to the elevator. Kima had already made it into the other and was on her way up to her suite. The elevator was taking forever, though, so he made for the stairs and practically scaled them like a mountain to reach their floor. Panting when he reached their floor, he made his way over to her suite and knocked on the door. "Your Highness, let me in."

Kima, inside her room, tried to swallow her tears and went to the door. "Go away, Mako."

"Come on, just let me in."

Kima groaned irritatedly and unlocked the door to open it and yell at him to his face to leave her alone, but when she did she hadn't realized that Mako was leaning against the door and came tumbling into her room- wrapping his arms around her and turning so that he wouldn't land on top of her.

"Ow..."

Kima looked down at Mako, her heart pounding and her cheeks burning when she realized he was holding her to himself. She could feel the muscles in his arms wrapped around her, the muscles in his chest beneath his shirt. He was so warm and smelled really nice, too- which she hadn't noticed before.

"Are you OK?"

Kima nodded, pushing away from him as quickly as she could and getting to her feet. "Idiot, why were you leaning against the door like that?"

Mako sat up, slowly getting to his feet as he rolled his eyes. "What's your problem?"

Kima glared at him. "What's yours? You make it a daily habit to treat people like children?"

"Maybe I wouldn't have to if they didn't act like spoiled brats!"

"Screw you, Mako. You act like you know so much about me, like you have the right to judge me. Well news flash, you monumental ass, you don't know me. You don't know me or what I have to deal with every day."

"How can I when you pull shit like this? I may not want to play babysitter, but your brother asked for me to be your bodyguard and escort while you're here and I can't do that if you shut me out and ditch me! And if I didn't respect your brother so much and take my job seriously, I wouldn't have bothered looking for you."

"Great, someone else that wants to kiss up to my brother. Geeze, I'm so sick of this shit! Sometimes I wish I was never born a princess! Why couldn't I have just grown up having a normal life, instead of getting pampered and coddled every damn day?"

"Oh, right, because being royalty is so difficult."

Kima wanted to slap him again. "You have no idea! People like you always think it's such a glamorous lifestyle, that everything is just so perfect. Well, guess what, it's not. Every day, no matter what I wanted, I had to endure countless hours of tutoring, meetings, etiquette lessons, and training. I did everything I could to make Mom happy, but it was like I just could never live up to the reputation my famous big brother had built up for himself. He was always the prodigy, not me. And at least he's not afraid of his fire!"

Mako looked at her, confused, when she said that. "What do you mean? Are you afraid of your fire?"

Kima realized that she had said more than she wanted in the heat of the moment and shook her head. "Forget it, it was nothing." She started pushing him out of the room and shut the door behind him, locking it.

"Your Highness, come on." Mako turned back to the door, knocking. "You can't hide from me if I'm supposed to do my job." When Kima didn't answer, he sighed. "I'll be waiting for you, in the morning, when you're ready to see your grandfather. Try to get some rest, I guess." He turned away, feeling a bit defeated and wondering what she meant about Iroh not being afraid of his fire. 'Is she afraid of hers?'

Inside her room, the lights still off, Kima put her hand out- palm up- and summoned a small flame. She let the lavender purple flame dance in her palm for a moment or two, feeling like she was the biggest failure in the world. She closed her hand into a tight fist and extinguished the flame, the tears finally slipping free.

'I thought this would be the chance I needed to prove myself to Mom and Iroh, but... maybe I shouldn't be here... maybe I should just go home...'

* * *

The following morning, Kima woke feeling like shit, but she got up, showered, and changed into a fresh set of clothes- having fallen asleep in her dress. She wasn't looking forward to seeing Mako after what happened, but she had to swallow the pill- so to speak- and all its bitterness if she wanted to stay in Republic City. And she wanted to, but things were off to such a rocky start she still wondered if this whole idea was a mistake.

As she stepped out into the hall, just as he said he would be, she found Mako waiting for her. He looked like he got about as much sleep as she had, but his demeanor was a bit different; softer if you will. They exchanged a brief greeting, then made their way down to the lobby where they found Zuko waiting.

Mako watched how comfortable Kima was around her grandfather, just as she was with Iroh, and wondered if she was on guard with everyone else. He had also been thinking about everything that had been said between them the previous night and he realized that Kima was right. He didn't know her, he was judging her just because she was a princess- similarly to how he did Prince Wu- and he was treating her like a child, even though she was a few years older than him. He was being unfair and childish in his own right because he would rather be bringing down the triads- that much was true. But like he had told Kima, his respect for her brother and his job were too great for him to give up on her. The city was dangerous and Kima was a lot like Korra- stubborn, rebellious, sassy, quick tempered- but he had seen a gentler, more cheerful side to her as well and he found he was determined to bring it out again as many times as he could if it meant giving Kima the chance she had been longing for to experience the world for herself beyond the Fire Nation's palace walls.

They enjoyed a nice breakfast, talking a bit about a number of things before walking Zuko to the docks where he called for Druk. When the dragon reached them, Kima bid her grandfather and his dragon companion a fond farewell, promising to give Mako a chance when Zuko made a gentle critique of the previous to her. Druk nuzzled her as she kissed his snout, huffing a goodbye before Zuko climbed up and they took to the sky with a final goodbye.

Kima and Mako started heading back into town, both silent for a while.

"Your Highness, I'm sorry about last night..."

"Mako, I told you, just call me 'Kima'." She looked at him, sighing. "I'm sorry, too."

"I'd be more comfortable sticking with that, to be honest."

"Fine, whatever..."

"Your Highness, I..."

Kima stopped, noticing Mako had halted and was rubbing his neck. "What?"

"Look, you were right. I would rather be taking down the triad, but I'm not about to break my word either just to do it. My job right now is to escort you around Republic City and act as your bodyguard. And I'm fine with that. But you need to let me do my job, alright? This city is a dangerous place and I don't want anything bad to happen to you."

"And I promise I won't run off on you like that again. Not to spite you at least."

Mako rolled his eyes when she winked, but he smiled at that. "Just so long as you know I'm coming after you, whether you like it or not."

Kima returned his smile, offering a hand to him. "Truce?"

Mako's smile grew and he nodded, taking her hand and shaking it. "Truce."


	6. Chapter 6

Kima sat in her room, enjoying a nice breakfast as she looked out the window. She had been in Republic City for nearly a month now and she was glad that she stuck with it. Her and Mako still butted heads a bit, but they kept to their words and found a way to make it work.

Mako opened the door to her room after knocking. "Morning, Princess."

Kima looked up at that, sighing just a bit. She had been fighting Mako on calling her by a title rather than her name, but finally they settled on "Princess" instead of "Your Highness" with it being the least formal of the two.

"Morning, have you eaten yet?"

Mako shook his head.

"Come sit, then!"

Mako joined her by the window, taking a few of the hotcakes she offered him. Biting into one, he was surprised to find meat inside.

"Well?"

"It's good."

Kima smiled, taking another one. "I asked the chef here if he could make these with komodo sausage inside. He made this really yummy gravy to dip them in, too. Here, try it!"

Mako dipped a hotcake into the gravy, taking a bite and finding himself smiling over food for the first time in a long time. "That's delicious!"

Kima's smile grew. "Told you it was yummy." She took sip of her tea, having managed to procure her great-uncle Iroh's famous tea blend. "You should try the tea. It's my Uncle Iroh's special blend."

Mako poured himself a cup and tasted it, nodding in approval. "I've heard his tea was quite something, but that's just amazing."

"See, a few of the perks of being royalty."

"So, what would you like to do today?"

Kima shrugged. "Honestly, we've pretty much done everything in Republic City. I mean, what's left?"

"Not much."

"Hmmm..."

"What?"

"I need to make a call."

Mako watched her get up and head over to the phone, waiting while she dialed in.

"Hi, I'd like to be patched through to Fire Lord Izumi, please. Uh huh. Thank you."

'She's calling her mom?' Mako wondered what she could need to call her for.

"Oh, she is? OK, well could you pass along a message for me then please?"

Mako waited patiently, wondering what the message was. When Kima returned to the table, he looked at her curiously when he noticed she seemed nervous about something. "What is it, Princess?"

"I was wondering..." Kima hesitated for a moment, then took a deep breath. "Could we go see the other kingdoms, Mako? Please?"

"You want to leave Republic City?"

"The whole point of leaving the palace was to learn what the rest of the world is like. But being in Republic City, it's not really enough for me to understand." Kima looked out the window for a moment. "If I'm going to take the throne someday, I need to learn about the rest of the world. My grandfather laid out an amazing legacy and I don't want to disappoint him." She looked back at him, putting her hands together and dipping her head downwards. "So, please, Mako... could you come with me to see the other kingdoms?"

"Sure, why not? It has been awhile since I've been out of the city."

Kima looked up at him, relieved. "Really?"

Mako had to chuckle and smile at that. "Ya, sure. When do you want to leave?"

"Today..?"

"Where do you want to start?"

"Ba Sing Se?"

"Alright, let's get packed and head out on the next train out of town."

"Really?"

Mako nodded as he stood, his smile growing when he saw how excited she was. "Really. Let me go pack a few things and inform the Chief, then I'll meet you back here."

Kima nodded, watching Mako leave her room. When her door had closed shut, she sprang from her seat and started packing everything. Since she had only brought the one bag, she didn't need to pack much and was ready in a flash.

Kima waited with anticipation for Mako to return from the precinct, then when he finally did, she found she couldn't quite contain her excitement. She thought it was just because she was tired of being cooped up in Republic City, similarly to how she was in the Fire Nation's palace, but she was beginning to wonder if there was more to it. She found herself enjoying Mako's company more and more as the days went by, which was odd considering how they were at odds to begin with.

Ready to go with everything they needed packed, Mako and Kima went to the train station and boarded the train headed to Ba Sing Se. Kima had never been on a train before, so it was just another new experience for her to enjoy and for Mako? Well, he was just glad to see the princess in such high spirits.

Mako regretted how things started off between he and Kima, but as the days went by he was finding she was much easier to be around, much more fun and willing to cooperate with him than she was at first. And he found himself actually enjoying his time with her; she wasn't needy like Wu had been, even if she was just as spoiled. But they had come to an understanding after the night of the election party and things were better now.

As they traveled along the tracks towards the great capital of the Earth Kingdom, Mako couldn't help but smile at Kima's excitement and awe at the landscapes and villages they passed.

'This will be fun.'


End file.
